I'm back with a new one.

A short note, if you will. Dwarves are not seen enough on this site so I'm adding one. I know a lot of people write their ocs pretty edgy and pretty cringe so I'm trying to stay away from that as best as I can.

If you're into soft relaxing songs to listen to when studying or working on projects, I'd recommend The bonny banks of Loch Lommond by Ella Roberts. I started thinking about it cause of Dwarves. You know since Irish and Scottish music sounds somewhat similar and Dwarves are mostly portrayed with Scottish, Irish or Russian accents in media nowadays.

With that out of the way, lets get to it.

"Yelling"/ Important thing

"Flashback"

"Thinking"

Neverwinter City

Driftwood Tavern

The sound of silverware clattering against ceramic and metal plates blended in with the chatter of conversations as lute and pipe music floated through the dully lit corner of the Driftwood tavern. Many people of all races and Jobs went here to share information, make deals and have fun in a moderate degree of safety that was rarely found in the recovering city.

After the attack of the undead Lich Valindra, the Nasher uprising, the spell plague, The orc attacks and The attacks from the various elemental cults it was a surprise that the citizens of Neverwinter could even converse regularly. Then again, the citizens were far from defenseless civilians. Neverwinter was home to hundreds of incredibly powerful fighters, wizards, sorcerers, warlocks, rogues and a wide variety of other combat oriented jobs.

Even with all the misfortune that befell this tiny city, the Driftwood tavern stood tall. It's homely wooden and stone walls that were covered in paintings, posters, decorations and other baubles spoke of the thousands of different people that came and entered. The memories and stories of everyone that came and went would fill thousands of books for this year alone.

In one of the private booths that were located further in the back and protected by various anti eavesdropping and scrying magic that one would pay good gold to rent for a few hours, two men sat comfortably as they chatted about their lives and situations.

The booths were the equivalent of small rooms each with a large table that would easily accommodate ten humans comfortably, a doorway that held a cherry and Mithril composition. The cherry wood was the majority of the door and the Mithril was a design that spanned the whole door. It was an image of a large blacksmith's hammer on an anvil. It showed that this room was owned by the Dwarves that worshiped Moradin. The patron god of smiths and more importantly, Dwarves.

The inside of the room was made of Granite slabs that were perfectly attached and cut. The masonry was flawless and showed the amount of care that went into the work. The stone table they sat across from Each other was of finely cut granite interwoven with magical runes that provided various accommodations. One was a direct line of communication to the cooks as all VIP booths provided. The others were there to allow food to be perfectly teleported to the table with zero issues, removing the need for a waiter or waitress. There were other less important things to mention that the table could provide but those were unnecessary to mention.

The chairs the two men were made of obsidian with a constant prestidigitation spell that could be activated at will. The chairs also had a size modification spell added to them that could be activated at will. Both the spells were powered by mana sapphires that were embedded in the legs.

The two men that sat leaned against the backs of their chairs were a dwarf clad in simple, unadorned gray robes that covered his whole body up to his neck. They were of an incredibly high quality fabric that was interwoven with Mithril threads and hundreds of various enchantments and counter spells. His long silvery gray beard that was split into three long immaculately maintained paths fell down over his robe like a waterfall. Above it was a massive mustache that practically covered his bottom half of his face if not for the small opening allotted to his mouth for breathing, drinking, speaking and eating. The only visible part of his face was his wide nose, light skin and sharp narrowed turquoise eyes. The rest of his head was covered by his silvery gray hair that was neatly braided with many offshoots.

At the moment he was complaining in his gruff deep voice about how the Avernus damned Ashmadai were trying to sabotage his projects in Helm's Hold.

The man at the other side of the table just chuckled.

He was a tall, moderately well built Tiefling in a black and gold embroidered noble jacket for the house of Alandrus. It was a deep velvet black with gold patterns of vines that stretched all over it. His red skin, intelligent eyes and curved horns that went around the back of his head like a pseudo crown shimmered in the candlelight.

He was Vichorn Vrockwing, A very powerful spell caster and swordsman. He had lived for over six hundred years. The normal lifespan for Tieflings was not that long but his ancestors had made deals with Baal for increased lifespans, incredible power and sharpness of mind. They had paid the price in full after death, their souls were probably used as energy to constantly fuel a hell engine or another such evil machine.

"Just like you to think they would be interfering, Need I remind you that they were crushed by the Neverwinter forces alongside the 'Hero of Neverwinter' as many call him?" Vichorn joked offhandedly.

The dwarf humfed before saying "Fat load of good he did I tell you. The Ashmadai just got smarter. The invasion and capture of the creature was a ruse. It was obviously set to fail from the start. They were looking for something in Helms Hold and most likely got it. That's why people who pry to deep have been goin missing even though they were supposedly eradicated. Nobody talks about it for fear they will anger Sergeant Knox and his buddy Dagult Neverember. I hear anyone claiming to be a descendant of the Alagondar family is killed in secret by him. Now I'm not saying hes in bed with the Ashmadai, Moradin help me if he was, but what I am sayin is that Sergeant Knox, Dagult and 'The hero' are all buddied up and have been offing people in the background. Just think of what happened to that young upstart Karzov happening to your everyday man or woman".

Vichorn shrugged before saying "That's very seditious. Not that it matters much to me but I'd reckon you would find your head on a pike if Dagult heard you say that. Let's get down to business though. The planar portal you and your friends over at the workshop have been working on is ready to be tested right? What is it you want from me to do with it?"

The dwarf leaned forward from his relaxed sitting position and the mood became considerably more serious.

"That's the thing. I need some Glabrezu claw dust and you're the only one I know that can get such things into Neverwinter unmonitored. I trust that you already know the purpose?"

Vichorn chuckled "And here I thought you were going to ask me to do something dangerous. Do you have the Infernal Alexandrite, The purified Mithril, Violet Diamond shards and Green Sprite soul dust?"

The dwarf nodded "Yes, I got them from Jarlaxle. That Drow never ceases to amaze me with his ability and network. If he wasn't so shifty, I would have gone with him to the Underdark on the Expedition to slay the Hell Wyrm Ganthalion. However, I wouldn't trust a Drow enough to put my life on the line for him. Even that Drizzt fellow has a lot of baggage. I'd rather stay in the towers of the Gray mage's guild of Neverwinter and study. I swear on my Iron Arm that Drow are bad news wherever you see them. Ever since they began adapting to the upper lands, the world has been worse off. If I could smite that spider bitch Lolth I would with no hesitation, however, that is beyond the abilities of mere mortals like me and you. I tell you, in my one hundred and sixty years of life, Deities like her are a pain and cause nothing but havoc" After he finished his tirade, he took up a cup that had magically appeared on the table and swigged some of it's contents.

Vichorn stroked his small goatee and responded after some thinking, his red eyes flashing with interest "I can get you what you need. I don't need payment for it in gold. What I want is to do some studying of it. Knowledge like that is priceless, after all, such magics can only legally be operated by the licensed guilds and families.

The dwarf thought for a few moments before agreeing "Sounds like a good deal, equivalent exchange and all. How long will it take for you to get the materials?"

Vichorn replied instantly "I have some over in my safe house underneath Blacklake district. If all the constant invasions were good for one thing it was having the officials and military focusing away from Blacklake. The Dead Rats were easy to deal with after the 'Hero' cleared out their main forces leaving so many things of priceless value laying around. Word is all you have to do is make up some tear jerking story and offer a few gold and the 'Hero' will do anything you say. That's neither here nor there though. Do you want to come with me now?"

The dwarf nodded, his smile was visibly wide.

With these final ingredients, he could complete his portal.

Placing three silver coins on the table that disappeared shortly after, the two men got up and made their exit from the tavern.

When they made their way a good four blocks from the tavern to an empty avenue Vichorn pulled a light sandy colored scroll from a dimensional storage pocket he used before putting his left hand on the dwarf's shoulder.

He muttered a few incomprehensible words before a subdued flash shone for half a second from the scroll leaving the avenue empty afterwards.

The two appeared in a magically lit, spotless warehouse the size of a large palace. All sorts of artifacts, machines and workstations lined the walls with mages, assistants and mechanics scurrying this way and that.

"Ahh, being underground again feels quite pleasant, even if only slightly" The dwarf commented as he thought about his homeland in the Elemental Plane of Earth. After the Spellplague, his homeland became merged with the other planes causing them to be displaced when an Elder Fire Elemental and it's family had appeared in the middle of his small clan's cavern town. They would have all died if the clan didn't manage to cast Wish and transport them to safety in Norther Faerun.

Vichorn walked with the dwarf to a small secluded room in the achemy and artificing wing and began searching through a cabinet made of silver that hung high up on a wall that required a ladder to get to.

"Ahh, Here we are. Let's get you down to my friend Lodo Ironarm" Vichorn said to the materials he had in small glass vials as he made his way down the ladder. He could have levitated or shadow stepped up but sometimes climbing ladders was nice.

He showed four vials to the dwarf who's eyes went wide.

"How in Moradin's name did you get that much of it here?"

The tiefling laughed heartily before jokingly teasing his comrade "You wound me Lodo. Did you really think I would be so foolish as to not have many materials? You aren't my only buyer after all"

"I didn't mean it that way and you know it. I was wondering how it hasn't evaporated or exploded yet. Putting it near silver is asking for trouble" the dwarf responded, baffled at the actions of the tiefling.

"I feel like I am being underestimated too much by you, then again I know you don't specialize in the containment of demonic materials. You know how the properties of silver become weaker when effected by the Feywild's energy after months? Well, think of putting the silver in the Feywild for five years and add magical containment vials and then you have your answer".

The dwarf nodded, realizing the effort that it took to do such a thing without the silver destroyed, stolen or transmuted by the chaotic energies of the Feywild.

"We should go to your workshop and start our work. We'd best not waste time. This powder only lasts for so long" Vichorn suggested.

"Yes, let's go" Lodo said as he took out a scroll similar to the one Vichorn used to get here.

Vichorn nodded and grabbed on to the dwarf's shoulder.

With a light pop and blue flash of light, the two disappeared.

With the afternoon summer sun shining on the rooftops, a blue light shone quickly and brightly for a second then disappeared shortly after.

The men appeared on the cobblestone road in front of what looked like a huge barn.

However it was not a barn.

The twelve story mega structure stared them in the face. It's huge windowless stone walls and para-petted roof stood intimidatingly above the nearby buildings.

It's three story high doors and twenty eight foot wide entrance had smaller doors carved into the massive wooden gates and artificers, alchemists an blacksmiths were rushing in and out with items and carts busily moving.

The two walked up to the doors that were visibly guarded by ten half orc warriors and five sorcerers that greeted the two with polite bows and greetings of respect.

The two nodded in acknowledgement to the guards and made their way inside.

The inside was as big as a castle in itself, however it was one wide open area with various floors and suspended walkways each housing blacksmiths, crafters and tons of machines that smoked, clunked and whirred. The smell of tanning hides, meat, iron, oils, herbs and incense assaulted both of their noses as they saw people of all races and sizes going back and forth with tools, ingots and hides to yelling people that managed the flow of goods.

It was quite the scene to see. If one saw it for the first time, it's sights, sounds and smells would overwhelm them. However, both men were used to such a sight so they payed no heed to the busy people working all around them.

As they walked through the giant workshop, they received greetings and bows of respect. They were two of the masters of their fields. To the workers, it would be an honor just to stand in their presence.

After walking to the far end and going down five flights of stairs, each with higher levels of security than the last, they made it to the master's quarters.

Lodo made his way into his private quarters that were the size of a large house in itself.

When they entered a small workshop that was empty other than a large round Adamantite and Divine Mithril portal shell that was empty at the moment Vichorn grinned.

This was exactly what he was looking for. The intricate craftsmanship from materials as rare as Tarasque hide and as durable as Divine Silver left him in awe.

"How did you get the funds for this? There is no way you did this with mortals alone" Vichorn asked with his mouth open wide like that of a goldfish.

The portal shell alone was worth more than the entire city of Neverwinter. One could consider it a priceless artifact. Something even the Gods would consider precious.

"That's right. I received help from the Titan Annam. He was quite accommodating. The funny thing is, he asked for no price in return, saying he simply wanted to see what happened. Of course, I was skeptical at first but after many conversations and deliveries of everything I needed for a good five years, I began to see his intentions were in fact out of boredom. He truly does act out of impulse. To think he would help a dwarf" Lodo said as he made his way to the portal which had a symbol of two hands facing downward with their wrists touching together.

"While I have my reservations about a titan's work, Annam doesn't seem like one to act like Asmodeus or Bahamut and I feel no corrupting energies from it. Enough of that though. Let's get to work" Saying this, Vichorn handed the vials to Lodo who looked at them with glee.

They would only have the power to open a planar gate for an hour or so, but that's all he needed as proof of his work.

Slowly pouring the vials into the base of the portal, the dust was absorbed quickly by a wild and chaotic magic before the portal began humming and a green circle of magic appeared and stabilized in the circular eight foot frame.

"Haha! Yes! I did it!" Lodo whooped as he walked up to the portal and observed the captured spell that was a gate to the Feywild. Not just anywhere in the Feywild, as that wouldn't require such a high quality portal. This opened the very realm of the LeShay's first awakening. A realm all but lost to time. Not even many of the Feywild's noble Lords and Ladies of massive knowledge and power remembered that this place existed. What was in this realm was an Artifact of creation. Something powerful enough to reshape entire planes. However, finding it in the ancient plane was a nigh impossible journey. That's why Lodo had prepared as best as he could for his lone journey.

He couldn't take anyone else with him. Not even Vichorn. No, especially not Vichorn. That man was not to be trusted with this mission.

While he was deep in thought, he hadn't realized the attempts of the portal to drag him in since they were instantly nullified by his robe's defensive magic. In fact they were so weak it didn't make sense.

He decided he would take a quick look at the other side and step back through when he saw it was the correct destination.

Ignoring Vichorn's warnings not to step through unprepared, he stepped through the glowing green portal.

Boom

A small explosion hit him in the face.

His magical defenses nullified the insignificant damage but the smoke around him made him step forward unconsciously and before he realized he did it, the portal closed and dissipated behind him.

"Oh no!" Lodo let out a gasp in horror.

He felt not the energies of the Feywild but the same energies of the Prime material plane he was used to on Toril.

The spell was a failure.

He raised his arms to the sky and screamed, His loud bellowing subconsciously enhanced by his wordless magic caused the surrounding area to shake.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! This can't be!" Lodo was broken. All his work for nothing. It was sabotage, it had to be. Vrockwing had so much of the ingredient, that he never even stopped to check due to his elation at being able to try out his portal.

Now for what? What did it turn out as? A failure.

He fell to his knees, summoning his Silverwood staff from his pocket dimension as a way to keep balance and not fall into the dirt.

And cut

There's the intro

Review if you want, I'd like to hear people's thoughts.

Adios